Slave Narratives Vol. XIV. South Carolina, Part 2 | Page 7

"You see, de colored people couldn' never go nowhe' off de place
widout dey would get a walkin ticket from dey Massa. Yes, mam,
white folks would have dese pataroller walkin round all bout de
country to catch dem colored people dat never had no walkin paper to
show dem. En if dey would catch any of dem widout dat paper, dey

back would sho catch scissors de next mornin."
"Well, I don' know as de white folks would be meanin to kill any of
dey niggers, but I hear talk dey would whip dem till dey would die
some of de time en would bury dem in de night. Couldn' bury dem in
de day cause dey wouldn' have time. When dey would be gwine to bury
dem, I used to see de lights many a time en hear de people gwine along
singin out yonder in dem woods just like dey was buryin buzzards. Us
would set down en watch dem gwine along many a night wid dese
great big torches of fire. Oh, dey would have fat lightwood torches.
Dese here big hand splinters. Had to carry dem along to see how to
walk en drive de wagon to haul de body. Yes, child, I been here long
enough to see all dat in slavery time. All bout in dese woods, you can
find plenty of dem slavery graves dis day en time. I can tell bout whe'
dere one now. Yes, mam, dere one right over yonder to de brow of de
hill gwine next to Mr. Claussens. Can tell dem by de head boards dere.
Den some of de time, dey would just drop dem anywhe' in a hole along
side de woods somewhe' cause de people dig up a skull right out dere in
de woods one day en it had slavery mark on it, dey say. Right over dere
cross de creek in dem big cedars, dere another slavery graveyard.
People gwine by dere could often hear talk en couldn' never see nothin,
so dey tell me. Hear, um--um--um, en would hear babies cryin all bout
dere, too. No'um, can' hear dem much now cause dey bout to be wearin
out. I tell you, I is scared every time I go along dere. Some of dem die
wicked, I say."
=Source:= Ryer Emmanuel, colored, age 78, Claussens, S.C. Personal
interview by Annie Ruth Davis, Dec., 1937.

Project 1885-(1) Prepared by Annie Ruth Davis Place, Marion, S.C.
Date, December 26, 1937
MOM RYER EMMANUEL EX-SLAVE, AGE 78
"Well, how you feelin dis mornin, honey? I had tell Miss Sue dat I
would be keepin a eye out dat door dere en when I is see a car stop up

to de house, I would try en make it up dere dis mornin. Yes, mam, Miss
Sue tell me you was comin today en I promise her I would be up dere,
but I ain' been feelin so much to speak bout dis mornin. Den you see, I
know I gwine be obliged to run down to de woods en fetch me up some
wood en kindlin fore night fall. I been 'spect to make Koota break me
up some splinters, but he ain' no count worth nothin. Yes, mam, he my
grandson. Cose I tries to knock bout somewhe' en let me get out in de
cotton patch, I can put in a good sturdy job any day. You see, my eyes
does be pretty good cause dey got on dey second glove, I say. Can see
good to my age. But oh, my Lord, right in my chest here, it does thump
sometimes just like a drum beatin in dere en I can' never stand to hurry
en walk hard no more dese days."
"No, mam, it don' bother me noways to leave dat door open. I keeps it
dat way bout all de time, so as I can look out en see what gwine along
de road dere. What de matter, honey, you don' loves to smell dem
chitlin I got boilin dere on de stove? I hear some people say dey can'
stand no chitlin scent nowhe' bout dem, but I loves dem so much dat it
does make my mouth run water to think bout how me en Koota gwine
enjoy dem dis evenin. No, mam, us don' never eat us heavy meal till dat
sun start gwine down behind dem trees cross de creek yonder. You see,
I does keep some 'tatoes roastin dere in de coals on de hearth en if us
belly sets up a growlin twixt meals, us just rakes a 'tatoe out de ashes en
breaks it open en makes out on dat. My God, child, I think bout how I
been bless dat I ain'